


Indirection

by kokoro



Category: Kuroko no Basuke | Kuroko's Basketball
Genre: M/M
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2013-09-09
Updated: 2013-09-09
Packaged: 2017-12-26 02:24:25
Rating: General Audiences
Warnings: Creator Chose Not To Use Archive Warnings, No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 1
Words: 826
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/960469
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/kokoro/pseuds/kokoro
Summary: <blockquote class="userstuff">
              <p>A response to Basketball Poet Society's kiss-themed challenge.</p>
            </blockquote>





	Indirection

Whether it was necessary or simply for the sake of convenience, Kagami and Kuroko never thought twice before passing something back and forth between each other that theoretically bridged their lips. They would run laps by coach's orders until their legs felt like jelly and rehydrate along the way from the same water bottle. As soon as Kuroko started panting too hard, Kagami would shout "Catch!" and toss his bottle Kuroko's way. On more than one occasion, Kuroko passed it back much more empty than full, but as long as Kagami got the last swallow of water, he didn't mind much.

 

When winter settled upon Tokyo and Kagami began to complain of chapped lips, Kuroko would offer up his own tube of chapstick. Sometimes he made the gesture when they were bracing themselves against the wind on a walk to Maji Burger. But other times it was when they could manage to slip outside the Winter Cup gymnasium to get some fresh air. Physically and mentally exhausted from that day's match, they maintained a comfortable silence and stared out at the cityscape until their focus went fuzzy. Not many words were passed between them, but a tube of chapstick was.

"Licking your lips won't help," Kuroko said, spotting the flick of Kagami's tongue out of the corner of his eye. He rummaged through his jacket pocket and pulled out the tube. "Here."

Kagami blinked out of his daze and grabbed it with routine casualness. "Thanks."

"You're welcome, Kagami-kun." Kuroko then applied a coat himself and didn't say another word until the chill outside finally transitioned from refreshing to stinging.

 

On quiet evenings and weekends when the basketball team could afford to have free time, Kuroko would stay over for dinner at Kagami's apartment and become the designated taste tester. Stirring a sauce pot, Kagami would sip from the spoon, nod his head in satisfaction, and then hold it out to Kuroko over the kitchen island. "Here, try this."

Kuroko would oblige, taste without even taking the spoon from Kagami's hand, and nod in turn. "It's delicious."

"Good. Dinner's ready, then," Kagami would say as he tossed the spoon in the sink and turned off the burner in what seemed like a single fluid movement. Kuroko would even describe it as graceful, as odd as that sounded in regard to Kagami.

 

There were countless nuances that Kuroko noticed about Kagami. Like how despite Kagami's inhuman appetite, or the way Kuroko tended to drink more than his fair share when splitting drinks with him, he knew Kagami wouldn't do that himself. So Kuroko trusted him enough to let him sip from his own milkshake. He'd watch Kagami wrap his lips around the straw and only take a sip or two. "As honorable as ever," Kuroko would think, as he took his shake back and pressed his lips where Kagami's had just been. This time too, they passed their belongings between each other as freely as they would a basketball.

 

They were also just as free with each other's company. A while later, they'd spent the day together at Kagami's apartment attempting to review for midterms and watching American NBA recordings during breaks. They'd had Sundays like this plenty of times before, like a consistent but pleasant déjà vu. But this particular one stood out after Kuroko stepped into the entryway to head home.

"You sure you don't want to spend the night here?" Kagami asked, leaning his shoulder on the doorframe which was just a bit too short for him if he stood up straight. "You got your school stuff for tomorrow with you anyway."

Kuroko finished swapping some borrowed slippers for his shoes and stood in front of Kagami. "Yes, I'm sure. My grandmother said she'd like to see me at home before she goes to bed tonight."

"Oh. Alright. Get home safe then, okay?"

"Of course."

Their next move felt as instinctual as an evasive pivot or an assertive screen, with the sort of thoughtless fluidity that they only had when they were completely comfortable, in their element, doing what they loved. Nothing had to be meticulously calculated to figure out exactly how they would take home a victory with 30 seconds on the clock. It wasn't that sort of match. It was the sort where they didn't have to think too hard; they could just allow themselves be swept up by each other's currents and let everything come naturally.

While it was Kuroko who propped himself up on his toes and took the first step, it felt instead like they leaned in synch. Kagami bent down, Kuroko strained up, and their lips met for the first time in a simple goodbye kiss that felt like the most natural thing in the world. After a few moments, Kuroko sunk back down to his heels and gave a bare hint of a smile that filled Kagami with warm familiarity.

"I'll see you tomorrow, Kagami-kun."

"Yeah, see ya."


End file.
